


Songs and Science: The Melody of Love

by MintWR



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Adventure, Character Development, Developing Relationship, Dorks in Love, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Growing Up Together, Romance, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 02:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29092977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MintWR/pseuds/MintWR
Summary: Varian and Lashanie are living quite a normal life in the peaceful village of Old Corona - until the lost princess, Rapunzel, returns.Soon, their life changes and not only for the better.And while they're trying to save their families and friends, they have to learn the hard way, that nothing in life that's worth having comes easy.
Relationships: Varian (Disney)/Original Character(s), Varian/Lashanie
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	1. How it begins

Heavy rain has soaked the sandy roads between the small houses of Old Corona village. 

A young girl stomps happily through the mud, little splashes of dirt covering her knee-long, flowy skirt. While she continually keeps blowing single strands of hair out her face, she hums a sweet tune.  
Even though her clothes are dripping wet, a great smile adorns her pale, pretty face while she steps extra hard into every big puddle on her way.

Old Corona village is a small and calm but beautiful place most of the time. The little houses scatter between meadows covered with flowers, apple trees, and fields of different fruit and vegetables.  
And for far too long, Lashanie wasn't able to explore this lovely village.

Not a single bit, the brunette bothers about the rain. She's too happy that's she's finally free to spend time away from her parents. 

For the past five years, her mom and dad have been trying day in and day out to help her train the strange gift she poses, and while Lashanie's certain they only meant well, there hasn't been any namable progress. Looking back at these years now, what's most present in her memory is that she was isolated from everyone but her family, always trapped inside the house.

With the missing progress, her parents have finally given up on the thought of turning her gift into a way to reestablish the family name. However, Lashanie still feels like she has to master that talent. Over the years, it became a duty to her, one she has to fulfill.

So it was a blessing in disguise when her snobbish cousin Ben and her aunt Anne came for a visit. 

"You know, someone who's living here is just as bad of a crank as you are. Father told me about him. The son of the leader of your filthy little village, I think. Maybe you should go see him. You'd probably get along great, both of you being out of your minds!"  
He told her with a mean grin on his chubby cheeks.

Sure, the moment he said this, she wished he'd fall into a deep hole and disappear. Yet, she was used to his mean comments and insults anyway, and after all, Ben's smug monologue led her to the resolve to meet that special person he mentioned.

If he really was extraordinary enough for people out of the village to talk about him, maybe he was just the right person to ask for help. He could very perfectly be the one to help her understand that strange gift of hers.

"Here we are."  
Lashanie mumbles to herself as she stands in front of the largest house in Old Corona. 

At least it was easy to find him.

The rain leaves the walls wet, making the house appear somewhat rejecting... kind of unfriendly, but she would neither the bad weather nor the rumble in her stomach stop her from meeting her glimmer of hope.

Slowly, Lashanie takes the steps leading to the front door. She gathers her courage to reach out, and to her surprise, the door immediately swings open under her light knock.  
It must have been ajar all the time.

After a few minutes with no response to her knock, she pushes the door open just a little further and enters into the dark.

"Hello, is anybody there?"

As it echoes through the room, Lashanie's voice quickly betrays her insecurity.

It probably wasn't a good idea to simply walk in with no invite, and she also feels a bit like an intruder, but waiting in the pouring rain while the door was open, didn't seem like a better idea either.

While making her way down a dim corridor, she lets her fingers brush against the wall.  
A narrow beam of light ahead leads her way to another half-open door.

As soon as her bright lime green eyes adjust to the sudden light change, she stares in awe. She's never seen anything like that.

Instruments, tools, and books fill the room. A tiny gasp escapes Lashanie's lips, and her hopes rise.  
Whoever works in this place must be quite educated.

"Hello?" I am sorry for just coming in, but I -"  
Nervously chuckling, she interrupts her sentence.  
"My name's Lashanie, and I - I've heard that someone who lives here knows about magic, and I-"

Her ongoing ramblings distract Lashanie from the steps coming closer behind her.  
Suddenly she feels a hand grabbing her by the shoulder. 

"AHH!"

A shrill scream thunders through the room, causing the slim boy to pull back his hand immediately.

Lashanie turns around, and light blue eyes stare back at her.  
She didn't expect the person who owns that impressive collection of scientific equipment to be this young.  
The dark-haired boy is about her height and, judging by his look, also about her age.

While he curiously eyes her, obviously waiting for an explanation for her intrusion, the brunette only blinks at him in pleasant surprise.

After a short moment, the boy breaks the silence between them. He puts his head in a slight tilt, and a friendly smile forms from his lips.

"Hello, Lashanie. I'm Varian."

As he confidently walks past her, Varian takes off the heavy coat that saved him from the rain before he makes his way over to a piled-up table.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but magic isn't my specialty. As you can see -"  
He motions to his instruments.  
"I am all about the science."

The friendly smile gets replaced by a satisfied smirk when Varian starts to pour a bright liquid into a big bowl that's connected to a setup of several other vessels and multiple burners.

"What is this?"

Lashanie folds her arms behind her back, bends slightly forward, and walks closer, fascinated by the colorful reaction that just set in.

With his hands on his hips, the boy replies in a snarky tone.  
"No. The actual question would be, what are you doing here?"

Yet, he's still smiling, which encourages her to walk even closer.  
She straightens her back and looks him in the eyes.

Now that she's standing right in front of him, Varian can't help observe the girl who practically just broke into his house.

Wet strands of her asymmetrical cut hair stick to her face and light freckles follow her cheekbones, accompanied by a soft touch of pink. Her clothes are soaked from the rain and still fit her slim figure perfectly, and a far-off area in Varian's mind finds: cute.  
But what really catches his attention are her eyes.  
They're somewhat sharp, a shape that reminds him of a fox, and the mesmerizing mix of yellow and green, he must admit to himself, is a color he hasn't seen before.

"Are you listening?"  
Lashanie furls her eyebrows at the boy.

"Oh, I - hehe."  
Letting out a light chuckle, he ruffles the back of his hair.  
"I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?"

Patiently, Varian waits for that strange girl to explain why she simply walked into his house.  
An explanation he won't receive when Lashanie mistakes it as him asking for her request. 

She smiles.  
"Look, I can't seem to make my magic work right, and I think you, well, you might be able to help me. Please."

A silent O forms on Varian's lips as a voice echoes in his mind,  
"She's crazy!"

Luckily he can stop himself from saying it out loud. Instead, he just shrugs his small shoulders.

"Sorry, but as I said, no magic - only science! Alchemy! Also..."

Varian considers for a short moment, not wanting to hurt her feelings and chase her away. But he also can't pretend that he believes in magical abilities resting inside that girl.

"Have you considered that maybe - just maybe, your magic doesn't work because, well... there is no magic to make work?"  
He pays her an apologetic smile.

The mesmerizing sharp eyes he earlier got lost in widen, and Varian expects the girl to get upset.  
But she doesn't. She points at the experiment in his back.

"Oh, look!"

Before he can even turn around, a small explosion bursts the bowl at the end of the setup.  
Pink dust fills the entire room within a few seconds, surrounding the two kids. Little particles sparkle inside that dust like a thousand stars in the night sky.

Lashanie's bright eyes seem to glow, and her mouth stands open.  
"Wow! This... this is beautiful!"

A soft chuckle escapes Varian as he shakes his head.

"That wasn't supposed to happen, actually."  
He admits with a wry smile.

Varian gets down on his knees and starts to clean the mess the failed experiment has caused.  
While picking up the shards, he exhales loudly.

"I was trying to create a substance that should help increase the growth in our fields. That could double or maybe even triple our yield. But-"

"You can do that? You're amazing!"

It wasn't her intention to interrupt him, but what he just said sounded so incredible that she couldn't control her excitement. The words just came, and promptly, Lashanie covers her mouth.

"You really think so?"  
Varian rubs his neck, something he often does when he's flattered.

The brunette nods, paying that nervous boy a sweet smile. She sits down by his side and starts to help him clean the floor.

"That idea of yours is great! Really!"

The smirk on Varian's face grows brighter.

"Would you like to see more of my work?"  
He asks in a whisper as if they were plotting something.

"Yes!"

Lashanie's answer comes a bit too fast and a little louder than she planned. She's just so excited to have the chance to spend more time with that remarkable boy.  
So excited that she has already forgotten the reason why she came here in the first place.

Even though their meeting was rather strange, he is thrilled he finally has someone to talk to about his precious alchemy.

And so Varian responds proudly,  
"Well then, welcome to my laboratory, Lashanie!"

They wouldn't know that this rainy day should mark the beginning of an everlasting friendship.


	2. Chapter 02 - Forget-Me-Not

The next day, the rain has subsided, the midday sun throws warm beams of light through the small window in Varian's laboratory, and Varian's been here since the very early morning hours.

When his dad came back home yesterday, he mentioned that apparently, a pack of raccoons had helped themselves to fruits from Old Corona's fields. Much to the chagrin of the farmers.

But what really caught Varian's interest was his dad saying that it would be quite difficult to get rid of them again.

And he sure was right.

Varian had started his work this morning by reading all about these small animals.

Obviously, they'll just keep coming back as long as they find food. But moving the fields, of course, was no option.

So if Varian doesn't help, his dad will have his hands full even more than he already does every day.

With knowing that, the boy is determined to find a solution to this problem.

And maybe, just maybe, his father could rest a little on his duties for at least one day, and then, Varian snickers slightly, they could maybe spend one day out together. Just the two of them.

The mere thought of a chance to spend some time with his dad gets Varian overly joyed and pushes his enthusiasm to the maximum.

Now, he only has to work out a safe plan to repel the raccoons. Without harming them, of course!

It's been a few hours now since the boy opened the first book.

Meanwhile, all kinds of notes spread on his desk, some of his old ideas for great inventions and some new ideas that might work.

And just as many books lie open under, over, and next to them.

His alchemy tools are also already set up at the other side, just waiting for him to use them.

Varian is deep in thought when a sweet voice jolts him.

"Are you learning about raccoons?"

He hastily turns around to sweep his gaze across the room and inadvertently jogs an empty beaker that stands near the edge of the table.

The glass tool slides off that edge and gives a loud clang as it bursts on the hard ground.

At the same moment, Varian's surprised eyes meet the slim figure of the girl from the day before.

"Oh no! I'm - I'm sorry! I really didn't mean to startle you!",

she apologizes, kneeling down the next second to pick up the shards.

After letting out a relieved sigh, Varian bends down to help her.

"No, it's alright! I mean, pfft- I wasn't even really startled or scared, you know.",

the boy tries to lie, giving a dismissive gesture.

"So you broke that beaker on purpose?"

Lashanie places the shards she's collected in his gloved hands, her lips curling up in a playful smile.

A tiny chuckle escapes Varian.

"Alright, you got me."

He straightens his back to drops what's left of his tool into the bin by his working space before giving Lashanie a quizzical look.

"Something's wrong?"

There's a trace of insecurity ringing in the girl's voice.

"Well, I didn't think you'd come again when yesterday, you left so suddenly."

"Right... I'm sorry."

The brunette narrows her eyes as she pays Varian an apologetic smile.

Of course, that sudden leave must have given him a rather questionable impression on her.

"It's just that, when your father came home from his work in the fields, I knew my dad must have been home too. And I had promised to help my mom prepare dinner before I left the house earlier, so I was hoping to save myself from getting grounded by sneaking in before my dad notices I was too late, you see?"

"Ah, so your father is one of our farmers as well?"

Lashanie nods in response.

With a smile and a slight shrug of his shoulders, Varian admits,

"I see. My dad can be pretty strict too. So I guess I can understand."

"Would you allow me then to spend the day with you again?",

Lashanie asks, inching closer to the alchemist.

He tilts his head.

"Are you sure you want to?"

It's the first time someone spent a day with him, listening to him gush about alchemy and science and his ideas for ways to improve life in Corona, and came back the next day to accompany him even more.

And though Lashanie doesn't seem like the type, there's a tinge of fear welling up inside Varian that it could be just some mean joke planned out by some of the other kids in the village.

Maybe she was sent here to play nice only. Whatever that would gain them in the end.

So Varian keeps his response somewhat avoidant.

"I mean, I'm going to be very busy all day, helping to save our harvest from the thieves."

"Thieves?",

Lashanie gasps at his words.

A light, short nod is Varian's reply.

He might be a tiny bit exaggerating, but he wasn't exactly lying. Those little trouble makers were practically bad thieves, stealing from the people of Old Corona. And so, technically, he was helping to send a bunch of thieves fleeing.

"Exciting!"

With her bright eyes widening, Lashanie clasps her hands.

"I would love to help you!"

For a moment, the boy still ponders. But since he can't come up with a good reason to refuse her, he lastly agrees.

"Alright. But you mustn't slow me down! We need to find a solution as soon as possible. And don't break more of my stuff."

"Yes, sir!",

Lashanie jests as she gladly jumps to Varian's side.

"So, what do we know about the thieves? Has anyone seen them? What do they look like?"

She blurts out all these questions with no pause for a response.

An idea comes to mind, and Varian chuckles. He might as well let her find out about the thieves' identity through a little game instead of just telling her.

"Let me give you a quick description, okay?"

His lips form a playful smirk.

And though Lashanie seems to guess his intent easily by the look in his eyes, she remains a smile and just joins his game.

"Okay."

"Let's see. They're wearing black masks around their eyes.",

Varian starts.

"They usually strike at night. They're quite smart and also have a heightened sense of smell."

Confusion plasters the brunette's face, and Varian must admit to himself, this is pretty fun.

But finally, he shows mercy and motions a height to her.

"And they're about this tall."

Her confusion immediately twists into a grin.

"They're raccoons! Ah! So that is why you've been reading about them."

"Exactly. I was trying to figure out a humane way to keep them away from our fields. Maybe you got an idea?"

"Humane is good.",

Lashanie mumbles.

"But it also means no traps or things of that sort."

The boy just nods to her.

"And as you mentioned before, they're also quite smart."

"Right on. So?"

The brunette fixes the sketch of a raccoon Varian had added on his notes.

"Perhaps we could use one of their abilities against them. Their sense of smell, maybe?"

The corners of Varian's mouth twitch up in satisfaction. He likes her way of thinking.

"That's just what I had in mind.",

he rejoices as he points at an open page in one of his many books.

Lashanie reads out loud.

"Monkshood."

"Yeah, I've been considering to use it for some experiments for a while anyway.",

the boy excites, and his blue eyes light up.

"I mean, it isn't exactly easy to find monkshood in this place, I guess, heh. But I think we should still try and look for it.",

he adds.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

As she gazes up from the book, Lashanie furrows her brows.

"Of course! We could use the smell to give them an... uh- an impression of lurking danger. Plus, it wouldn't affect the harvest in any way."

"But you do know that monkshood is poisonous, right?"

The boy cannot restrain from letting out a sigh, sassing,

"Yes, I know."

Shooting him a scrutinizing look, Lashanie crosses her arms.

"You sure that your interest in that plant isn't only coming from that wish to use it for experiments afterwards?"

"No.",

Varian drags out his voice suspiciously.

"I mean, sure, I want to experiment with it. But I also think this just might work."

The blue-eyed boy reaches for his satchel, puts the strap over his small shoulder, and stems his hands to his hips. Invitingly, his eyes twinkle as he beams at his visitor.

"So, Lashanie, do you still want to spend the day with me?"

"Yes!"

Her answer is swift and curt, and with no further hesitation or discussion, she hurries to his side and leaves with the self-proclaimed alchemist.

~*~

The two kids wander quietly side by side, making their way to a promising brook with a meadow close by it, just at the borders of Old Corona.

The sun is warming their skin, and lots of little insects dart through the air in front of them, aroused by the rain the day before.

After a while, Varian decides to break the silence between them.

"You seem to know quite well about plants...",

"Only a little.",

the girl responds with a timid smile.

"My grandma on my father's side was a herbalist. I learned a few things from her when I was still little. And we also got some of her books lying around in our house."

"I see. Monkshood has a soothing effect, right? So it can be used for medical treatment, heh."

"Right. It can help when someone suffers a bad fever or cold.",

Lashanie explains, glad for the opportunity to show her new friend that she could provide some knowledge just like him.

"My grandma used to-"

"Wait a sec!"

Immediately, Varian pays Lashanie an apologetic smile for interrupting her so harshly.

"I'm sorry. But you - you mentioned yesterday that someone from your family is here in Old Corona for a visit right now. Is it your grandma? Maybe she could help us..."

He doesn't finish that sentence when Lashanie slowly shakes her head.

"No. No, my grandma passed away two years ago."

"Oh! I'm sorry."

Embarrassed from shooting off his mouth like that, Varian rubs his neck.

But Lashanie's face plasters only a kind smile as she pats the alchemist's shoulder.

"It's alright. I mean, I still miss her, but I know as long as I got her memory still with me, she will never be truly gone."

Varian can't help to return the smile Lashanie paid him.

The idea of having someone with you through the memories you cherish really falls to his liking.

After letting another short moment of silence pass, he asks,

"Well, would you mind telling me who's visiting your family here in Old Corona then?"

"Lashanie!"

A familiar voice calls, stretching Lashanie's name significantly.

It leaves Varian quite surprised how fast the girl's expression changes.

In the blink of an eye, her smile is gone, and Varian reckons to see something like fright flickering in her eyes.

"Here you are!"

A stocky boy approaches them, strutting across the meadow and carelessly burying tiny flowers in his path underneath his heavy steps.

Varian figures that boy must be related to Lashanie since there's a slight but visible resemblance between them. He has light hair and eyes, and their shape somewhat matches Lashanie's.

Though her facial features sure are more decent than his.

The clothes he wears are made to let others know about their owner's wealth, with only one single glance. And although it's merely been a minute he's been around, Varian already feels a growing antipathy towards him.

"Ben!",

Lashanie squeaks miserably.

She tears her gaze off him, turns back to Varian, and explains,

"My cousin. He and my aunt Marie are the ones who came here for a visit."

Lashanie puts her attention back on her cousin, afraid he only came looking for her to embarrass her in front of Varian.

"What are - what are you doing here?"

In an overexaggerated gesture, Ben spreads his arms as if he were to embrace his cousin.

"Mom says it's a pity you spend all day outside when we only visit so rarely and barely get to see you. She'd love for you to be around more."

Varian swivels his gaze between Lashanie and her cousin. It's written all over her face just how uncomfortable Ben's presence is making her.

Remembering his reservation from before, thinking Lashanie might have some mean joke in mind when she came to him, Varian feels silly.

Now he understands that she was just trying to get away from home.

Ben reaches out to grasp Lashanie by the wrist.

"Let's go!",

he orders.

But she backs away, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No. I'm not going with you!"

A disdainful look flashes across her cousin's face before his lips form a smirk.

"How impolite! What must your friend be thinking of you with that behavior?"

Lashanie bites her lip at his fake civility, something the grown-ups alas often fall for.

A soft chuckle breaks into the tension between the two cousins.

It's Varian, who's just standing there, watching them and shaking his head.

"I'm sorry for my lack of manners.",

he jokes in a sarcastic tone, adverting at Ben's put-on demeanor.

"But aren't you the one who's rather impolite?"

Ben seizes Varian up with his gaze.

"Is that him?",

he asks, addressing Lashanie.

"The village leader's son?"

Though he wonders a little about that question, Varian doesn't let it show. Instead, he holds up his confident expression as he places his hands at his hips.

"What if I was?"

The slim boy's lips curve into a grin.

To plant himself in front of the other, shorter boy, Ben lets up on Lashanie.

"Ben, leave him alone!",

Lashanie demands but falls on deaf ears.

Leaving him alone doesn't even cross the brute's mind.

On the contrary - he brings his face close to Varian's and threatens,

"Tsk! I'd say you'd be better off if you stayed out of this then!"

He glares at Varian, but to his surprise, the younger boy doesn't back away. No, he even holds Ben's gaze.

Eventually, Lashanie touches Varian by the shoulder.

"Let's leave, Varian. Remember, there's something we wanted to look for."

The girl's voice sounds almost pleading, and Varian heaves a sigh as he gives in and averts his gaze from Ben.

"You're right. We should get going. After all, the day won't extend itself for us."

"Lashanie!"

An angered Ben bristles behind her.

He couldn't possibly tell where that urge comes from, but something about that guy just pushes Varian to provoke him. It doesn't even make sense to him, and yet, he can't help it.

And so, as they're starting to walk off, Varian bends back, giving Ben a cheeky grin as he taunts,

"If you don't mind, we'd appreciate it if you would not stick with us."

"Stick with you, ha! I'd rather stick my arm in an anthill!",

the older boy snorts in response.

The alchemist stops in his tracks, his grin growing bigger.

"Really? You want me to find one for you?",

he retorts.

But Varian's smile quickly turns into a surprised frown when Ben bolts over to him.

He grabs the alchemist by his collar and raises his fist threateningly.

"No!"

Lashanie pulls Ben's sleeve, but he doesn't even pay her a single glance.

"You think you're so smart and funny, huh, buckteeth?",

the bulky guy sneers scornfully.

Varian glares at him and hisses,

"I'm not scared of you!"

As a response, Ben tightens his grip and snorts contemptuously.

And Varian can only squeeze his eyes shut when he sees his heavy fist come crashing down on him.

At the same time, Lashanie's voice shrills across the fields as she desperately tugs her nails into Ben's sleeve.

"No, don't!"

Right in front of Varian's face, Ben abruptly stops the blow.

He bursts out into laughter, letting go of the smaller boy in his grip.

"As if I would get my hands dirty on you!"

And as if nothing had happened, her cousin just turns to leave. But not without heaping Lashanie one last remark.

"Until later... Lashie."

The two kids watch Ben's stocky figure disappear in the distance, still somewhat in shock.

When he's finally out of their sight, Lashanie takes Varian's pale, freckled face into her hands, gently squeezing his cheeks.

"I'm so, so sorry! Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

Varian repeatedly shakes his head.

"No, he didn't. I'm fine."

"Thank goodness!"

Overwhelmed by relief, Lashanie throws her arms around Varian's neck, enclosing him in a tight hug. And though he doesn't mind, Varian can't bring himself to hug her back. Too big is his surprise at that sudden act of compassion.

In an attempt to cover his flutter, he coughs,

"We better get going."

With a quick nod, Lashanie agrees.

"You're right!"

~*~

As they continue their way, Lashanie keeps glancing at Varian from the corner of her eyes.

"I'm really sorry.",

she repeats eventually, referring to the incident with her nasty cousin.

But Varian only shakes his head.

"I don't blame you. And you don't have to apologize on his behalf."

When she doesn't seem to cheer up, Varian assures,

"Don't worry. It's alright.",

placing one hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"But what about you? Is he always like that? Does he threaten you this way, too?",

he asks, sincere concern flickering in his eyes.

"I'll be alright."

A wan smile forms on Lashanie lips as she calmly replies.

"I mean, Ben sure isn't nice to me, not even when my parents are around, but he doesn't actually resort to violence. In fact, his threats are empty."

"With you screaming like that back then, you didn't make it sound like an empty threat."

"Oh, I-, it's just that... the other kids usually don't talk back at Ben. For a moment, I was afraid he might really hurt you."

A somewhat embarrassed chuckle escapes the young girl.

It's not every day, someone would care for Varian, let alone worry if he gets hurt, and the small alchemist can't help to smile at Lashanie, a smile she immediately returns.

But one question still plagues Varian, and he decides simply to ask her.

"You said Ben wasn't nice to you even when your parents are around. So they know what's going on with him and still don't do anything about it?"

Lashanie laughs bitterly,

"Oh, he's dosing his remarks and insults well when others are around. That's what he's really good at, disguising his taunting and teasing as something harmless."

Before she goes on, the brunette ponders for a moment.

Eventually, she picks up.

"Also, my mother and my aunt got a pretty complicated relationship. From my mother's side, her family always valued wealth and influence the most. And since my aunt has married a very wealthy aristocrat from Equis, she's got all that.

It's enough for my mom to let her and Ben get away with just about everything."

Varian nods absently. What Lashanie's telling him fits perfectly with the way Ben presents himself. He must know all too well that he doesn't have to fear any consequences from his aunt.

"But what about your dad? He could do or say something, couldn't he?"

Varian tilts his head, fixing Lashanie with his big blue eyes.

She just shrugs.

"I guess he could, but... I don't know why he doesn't, to be honest. Maybe he doesn't want to make it even worse for my mom to deal with her family, or maybe he just hasn't noticed yet, how bad they really are."

The soft giggle she lets out passes on to Varian.

"All I do know is that my father loves me. He always took good care of my mother and me, you know. And it's him who believes in my abilities the most."

"You mean those strange magic abilities?",

Varian asks jokingly.

But Lashanie nods her head so very firmly that the alchemist doesn't bother to pick up on that matter again. At least not now.

"Then it probably was your dad who named you, heh.",

he concludes instead.

Under visible surprise, Lashanie blinks at him.

"What makes you think so?"

"Well...",

the dark-haired boy drags out his voice playfully.

"It's because Lashanie means 'Gift of God' "

The soft rosy touch on the brunette's cheeks intensifies instantly at Varian's explanation. She obviously didn't know about that.

Snickering lightly, Varian picks up the pace.

It doesn't take Lashanie an effort to keep up with him, however.

She slightly bends, folding her arms behind her back, and beams at him.

"What about you?"

"The meaning of my name?"

"No. What is your family like?"

Varian tries to avoid Lashanie's eyes as he ponders if he actually wants to talk about his family to her, a practical stranger. But she's already been quite open with him, so it would only be fair if he returned that openness.

Varian sighs.

"I - I only got my dad... and, well, you already know he is the village leader."

Encouraging him to go on, Lashanie nods.

"Which means he's very busy most of the time.

I mean, he says I could always tell him when I got any problems, but I..."

Varian lets out another deep sigh.

"I don't want to be just one more burden to him. I'd rather want to be a help for him. When mom was still there, she-"

He stops abruptly. His mother is a rather touchy subject.

She's been gone for five years now, but it's still awfully difficult for Varian to talk about her.

Luckily, Lashanie doesn't try to push him to tell her more.

She just gently pats his shoulder.

"I'll help you to help him."

A sweet smile graces her face.

"If you want me to, of course."

Varian nods at her gratefully.

~*~

They soon arrive at the brookside, but although they search the entire area for the monkshood, there isn't even a single plant to be found.

Finally, after a long while running up and down, Varian exhaustedly takes a seat in the soft grass.

The sun has begun to set, and the whole place is blanket in a beautiful rose tint.

With it being quite a sight, Varian's gaze is locked on the evening sky.

"Seems we came here in vain.",

he points out the obvious, knowing they'd soon have to head back home when the night was slowly falling.

Heaving a sigh, Lashanie's about to sit down by his side when something unexpectedly catches her eye.

"Not in vain!"

She hurries over to a shady spot by an old tree and kneels down.

Her excitement has piqued his curiosity, and Varian stretches his neck to see what she's found.

A bright smile plasters the brunette's face as she turns to him and points at some blue flowers growing by the tree.

"Look, it's Forget-Me-Nots! These were my grandma's favorites!

Gently, Lashanie feels the tiny flower petals.

"My mom used to love them too.",

Varian mumbles to himself, just loud enough for Lashanie to hear.

The memory of a kind woman with a pretty face lashes away at him. Her long red hair tied in a knot, she happily hums a melody as she arranges the flowers in their home.

"She once told me dad gave her a bouquet of Forget-Me-Nots when he asked her to marry him. That's why she loved them so much. He said that they had the color of her eyes."

The pictures that well up inside of him all of a sudden wrench Varian's heart.

"You miss her a lot.",

Lashanie notices quietly.

A big lump has formed in the boy's throat, and he can only nod in response.

Quite suddenly, Lashanie digs her small hands into the dirt.

"What...? What are you doing?"

Surprised, Varian raises his brows at her.

As she brushes a strand of hair out her face, the brunette unintentionally rubs some dirt onto her cheek before she happily lifts the flower with its roots and shows it to her new friend.

"Let's plant them by your home!",

she says with a saccharine smile.

That moment - the sunset, the girl with the Forget-Me-Nots, that entire scene just feels incredibly familiar to Varian.

He blinks his blue eyes at Lashanie.

"Lashanie!"

A loud voice snaps Varian out of his thoughts.

Hastily, he turns around and whispers,

"Oh no!"

But despite the rather mad tone in the tall man's voice who's approaching them, Lashanie's smile remains as she sweetly chimes,

"Papa!"

"Papa?"

Confusion washes over Varian's face.

"Ludwig? Ludwig is your dad?"

"Why, yes."

The nervosity in Varian's voice seems to go missing to Lashanie completely.

Only when her father stands directly in front of them and flashes Varian an angry look, it dawns on her that they must have had a rather unpleasant meeting before.

Varian forces a fake yet polite smile.

"Ludwig, sir. So nice to meet you again."

The man raises his brows but keeps an unimpressed expression.

"Of course, I had to find my girl with you.",

he sighs.

Nervously shifting his weight from one leg to the other, Varian lowers his head between his shoulders as Lashanie paces over, still gently holding the flower in her palms.

"What's wrong?"

She looks between her dad and her friend.

"Nothing.",

Ludwig replies swiftly.

"Come, Lashie, let's go home."

But his little girl doesn't care to move an inch. She stands by her friend.

"What about Varian?"

With a sigh, Ludwig states,

"Of course, Varian can come with us. We'll send him home."

Even the sweet smile that graces Lashanie's face, she addresses to Varian, can't stop his stomach from tightening.

It's just his luck that the kind girl he just befriended with, of course, must be Ludwig's daughter.

The three head back home together, the burning sun going down in their backs.

Walking quietly, Varian catches a glance at Lashanie, who's satisfied carrying home the flower for her friend.

When he's looking at her, a person full of kindness and compassion, the alchemist feels that a friendship with that girl might likely be worth the effort to change Ludwig's mind about him.

Lashanie notices Varian's gaze, and her lips curve up to a smile while Ludwig lets out another annoyed sigh.

Varian ruffles the back of his hair with a snicker.

Yes, she'll be worth it.


End file.
